Energized: Moments from the U2030 Retreat
U2030 ENERGIZE is called a “retreat” for a reason. It’s not a typical conference. It’s not sit, listen, take notes, move on. The organizers push you to show up differently, open, honest, and at times a little uncomfortable. It was a room full of industry leaders, Chief Customer Officers, and critical thinkers driving real change. Participants actually leaned into that, which changed the tone of every conversation.
So this isn’t a recap. These are just a few moments that stuck with me.
“You take the heat.” — Janisse Quiñones
That one is simple and real. Leadership means you’re accountable, especially when things aren’t going well.
“Results build trust.” — Rachel Hudson
Not effort. Not intent. Results. That theme came up more than once.
“More interested in trust than being liked.” — Vanessa Kisicki
That one hit. Easy to say, harder to live, especially when stakes are high.
“Focus on understanding first, not fixing.” — Brittany Ross
Sounds simple. It’s not. Most of us default to fixing.
“You train people how to treat you.” — Electric Bill Williams
You either set the standard early or spend time correcting it later.
“Without data, you’re just a person with an opinion.” — W. Edwards Deming (shared by Dwight Scruggs)
Still true. Especially now.
“Decision support system, not a bot.” — Beshir Bseirani
AI came up a lot. This framing stuck. It should push thinking, not replace it.
And the one I keep coming back to:
“Build something that stands without you.” — Stephanie Irwin (Allconnect)
Proud moment seeing a teammate deliver that message so clearly.
Big takeaway for me, this retreat reinforced that how you show up matters. AI, data, strategy, all important, but people are still the difference.